Lion's Pride

Chapter 21

D . a . n . e . l . l. e

LATER THAT EVENING

     "HEY STRANGER," I WAS BEGINNING TO GET COMFORTABLE with seeing Jah'eims' face and bare torso. It wasn't a bad thing to see, it was great actually. I watch as he casually saunters inside of my master bedroom like he owns the place, looking around here and there with the black basketball shorts hanging low on his waist. He was calm and content despite the tragically tense water and orange juice show down we had earlier. It's considerably later now, nothing else exciting about the day to gawk about. Shortly after the liquid fight, Jah'eim and I decided to go our separate ways within my home. We didn't like the smell of citrus and mold between the two of us as we showered once more in separate bathrooms.

     "Who you calling a stranger?" I ask with amusement. My bed is covered in nothing but books before me, some I've read more than two times and others I haven't touched just yet. I can say that my reading catalog is very diverse. It doesn't matter to me whether there are characters with powers in the novel, or just a plain jane love story. The laptop sitting on my thighs glows brightly. I've been sitting for a while now, adding and deleting books to my TBR lists. I give Jah'eim an eye as he picks up one of the books in the center.

     "You." He raises a brow which pokes at my curiosity. It takes a second before I finally realize he was joking just as he chuckled. I fold my arms across my chest, rolling my eyes.

     His fingers feel around the spine and cover of the book he had picked up. The title, 'Tyce' in big bold letters, a hooded man at the bottom. Jah'eim opens up the cover, peering down inside at the Table of Contents. He walks around the opposite side of my bed, head still strewn in the book. I watch as he makes room for himself next to me, pulling back the covers and all. I raise an eyebrow, still observing as he gets settled in next to me. Jah'eim leans back on the headboard just as I am, raises a tanned leg to bend at the knee and begins diving into the book. He was morbidly close to me, so close that I could smell the dove soap he used and strawberry-cherry infused shampoo I owned. I make a shocked face, snatching the book from him instantly.

     "Geez, Danielle." He says incredulously, a hand raising to the side. "The one book that pikes my interest in forever and you take it from me."

     "Did you use my shampoo?" I ask, dodging his statement.

     "Yea, it smelled really good-"

      I smack him with the book gently on his bare tattooed chest. He moves away, laughing.

     "That is an exclusive smell Jah'eim!"

     "I see why you going so crazy over it. The shit do give off a sexy vibe." I scoff yet almost blush at the mention of him thinking I smelled sexy.

     Even though he wasn't exactly saying that.

     If I use the shampoo all the time that means it's my scent. It's a part of me.

     Girl math.

     "Your so annoying." I smack him with the book for a second time, this go round tending to be a tad bit harsher than the first. "Looks like I'm gone have to start hiding shit."

     "Now look, you gone stop hitting me with these books for one," Jah'eim snatches the small object back and away from me. "And two, you need to chill. Focus on what you was doing before I came in and I will go back to my reading. Pretend like I'm not even in here. Besides, it's not like I'm moving in with you or something."